Toyota hit with record fine

Toyota Motor Corp., the company that has paid the most in fines to the U.S. auto-safety regulator, has agreed to pay a $17.4 million civil penalty for delaying reports of a vehicle defect.

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By Angela Greiling Keane

capecodtimes.com

By Angela Greiling Keane

Posted Dec. 19, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By Angela Greiling Keane
Posted Dec. 19, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

WASHINGTON — Toyota Motor Corp., the company that has paid the most in fines to the U.S. auto-safety regulator, has agreed to pay a $17.4 million civil penalty for delaying reports of a vehicle defect.

The new fine stems from a June recall for Lexus RX 350s and RX 450h vehicles where the accelerator pedal could catch on the driver's side floor mat, causing it to stick and accelerate when the driver didn't intend to. It's Toyota's second penalty since 2010 for delayed reporting of defects.

"It's critical to the safety of the driving public that manufacturers report safety defects in a timely manner," U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland said Tuesday in an emailed statement. "Every moment of delay has the potential to lead to deaths or injuries on our nation's highways."

The fine is a record civil penalty for a single violation and the maximum amount the agency can assess, the NHTSA said in the statement. It adds to scrutiny of the automaker by the agency for defects that can cause unintended acceleration.

"The government's clearly setting an example of Toyota," Michelle Krebs, an analyst with automotive researcher Edmunds.com, said in a telephone interview. "There is a need to take action when they start getting reports" from consumers of problems with their vehicles.